


Christmas Cupcakes

by canterofmysinnings



Series: Barlliams Songfic Challenge 2018-2020+ [9]
Category: Take That (Band)
Genre: Christmas, Crying, Cupcakes, Forgiveness, From dating to relationship, Gift Giving, Heart-to-Heart, Heteronormativity (Robbie's mum), Implied Sexual Content, Implied Want To Lose Weight, M/M, Mild Angst, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Older teenagers, Opposites Attract, Pet Names, Romantic Fluff, Secret Relationship, Texting, implied body image issues, keeping secrets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:27:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26495620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/canterofmysinnings/pseuds/canterofmysinnings
Summary: Gary and Robbie have dated for quite a while when Robbie notices that Gary is acting more distant and troubled than before. Gary invites Robbie over to his house to that they can talk it out. Janet, who believes Robbie is going out to see a friend, gives Robbie a box of cupcakes with him. Robbie knows that Gary won't like it since he's trying to lose weight.When they meet up, they talk their feelings through and forgive each other. They decide to take their relationship to the next step...
Relationships: Gary Barlow/Robbie Williams
Series: Barlliams Songfic Challenge 2018-2020+ [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1926196
Kudos: 2





	Christmas Cupcakes

**Author's Note:**

> This is part 9 of my Transfer from Wattpad series, as well as my year-long Barlliams Songfic challenge.  
> Originally published at: 05/06/2018  
> Originally inspired by the song: Killing Me

It was December 2000, and Christmas was approaching.

Gary and Robbie had dated for a while, and everything was beginning to feel more-or-less serious between the two. An incidental on-looker to their relationship might've laughed upon seeing them together, claiming it could never work. However, both Gary and Robbie knew to their fullest that their relationship appeared controversial. On a first glance, the pair didn't seem to have much in common. 

Gary was the serious type. Focused, ambitous and quite modest, he would rather stay in writing a sheet of lyrics or reading a good book than party out till the late hours. Robbie, in fact, was the opposite. He was cheeky, the life of the party and even somewhat flaky. He took most things quite lightly and had a nature of saying things before thinking them through.

Most of the time Gary found these traits endearing, but if they got into a spat or argument, things often developed in a fiery manner in very little time.

Robbie noticed how fast time went by. The amount of days left for Christmas decreased all the time, faster and faster. The less days left, the more Robbie noticed that Gary seemed off. Lethargic, irritable, unapproachable. There indeed was something Gary wasn't telling Robbie. Robbie spent many a sleepless night trying to descipher what Gary possibly hid away from him.

Gary and Robbie didn't live together, but they regularly visited each other at each other's houses down the road. They knew each other's families very well, and had stayed there without the other being there. Gary and Robbie often took advantage of this fact, which had let to many laughs and good memories.

A week before Christmas, Robbie noticed that Gary couldn't keep his troubles bottled up anymore. He had received a strange text from Gary prompting for a meetup. A text which he didn't understand.

He stared at his phone and furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

_Hi Robster. :) <3 please meet me at mine past 13. There is something I need to talk over with you. It's important. x x  
_

Robbie's insides squirmed in discomfort as he tried to compose a text back:

_What do you mean? Do you not want to go out with me anymore, Gaz? :/_

The anxiety from not knowing what Gary wanted and not being able to see Gary's real body language, tone or anything, made Robbie's eyes sting as panic tears dribbled from his eyes and down across his face.

Gary typed as Robbie waited in agony. _Bling_ , the phone said. Robbie flinched.

_No, nothing like that, don't worry. It's just a small issue between us that has caught my attention. Please come over x x x_

Nuh-huh. Robbie frowned as he walked downstairs to grab his winter clotches. As he walked in the hallway, his mother Janet caught him sneaking out.

"Where are you going, Robbie?" She smiled softly, holding a baking tray with freshly made muffins. Robbie's mouth watered as he saw the muffins.

"I'm going to see Gaz." Robbie smiled as he put on his black "PERVERT" hat and his gloves. He put on his jacket and stepped a bit closer to Janet, looking at the muffins a bit more. Exactly two of them Janet had turned into cupcakes, by putting on red frosting with white sprinkles and green, small marcipan leaves.

"Gaz... Who?" Janet asked, looking perplexed. 

Robbie pulled his hat down past his ears as he put on shoes, getting ready to walk outside. Watching Janet's confusion, he realised his mistake. Janet didn't know that Robbie used endearing terms about Gary.

His face flushed crimson red. "I'm sorry ma... It's Gary. From me band, you know?"

Janet smiled as she recognised the same. "Ah Gary, that bloke. I know him."

While she watched his son leave into the snow, she stopped him for a moment as she had an idea.

"Why don't you bring cupcakes for your friend? I think he would enjoy that!" Janet chirped in a motherly voice.

Robbie grinned awkwardly. "Sorry mum, I don't think that would be a good idea. I've heard Gary is trying to lose weight and-"

Janet rolled her eyes and scoffed. "One cupcake can't hurt, can it? Come on, then you can eat the other one. Look? No damage done. It'll be alright love, trust me." 

Before Robbie could resist further, Janet waltzed into the kitchen to find a box for the cupcakes. Robbie sighed heavily as she returned and pressed the box between his hands. He was sure that Gary would think he was a complete brain-boil. If anyone knew that Gary was dieting, it was Robbie.

"There you go." Janet smiled encouragingly, "Please say hi from me, alright?"

Robbie stepped outside into the snow and waved to his mum as he walked down the pathway. "See you later ma, love you!"

**In front of Gary's house**

Robbie clutched the cardboard box with the cupcakes as he rang the doorbell.

_Ding dong._

Robbie recognised Gary's footsteps as Gary rushed to the door. Robbie heard Gary shout to his parents inside the house. _"No, don't! I'm expecting someone. I'll open up."_

Robbie heard Gary rustle with the house keys. The door of Gary and his family was locked at all times. Considering the nerve of some crazy fans, Robbie fully understood.

Gary opned the door, and Robbie looked into the pair of emerald green eyes which he knew better than any eyes in the world. Robbie could hear that Gary was panting slightly from the exhaustion of running fast to the door.

"Robbie! There you are... You're a little late. Come in, though." He chuckled.

Gary looked at Robbie with a gentle, almost overbearing look on his face. Then he noticed the box in Robbie's hands.

"Hey... What's that?" 

Robbie shrugged and started to undress from winterwear. "My mum told me to bring you- us cupcakes. They're Christmas themed. Just look..." He bit his lip, getting ready for a reprimade from Gary for forgetting he was going sugar-free.

Robbie waited and waited.

Gary never flipped on him. 

The smaller man just stood there and watched the cupcakes with a stoic face.

"I... I told you I'm trying to diet." Gary hesitated. "So... So why do you bring me these?"

Robbie inhaled deeply. "Look... I didn't bring you these to undermine your diet regime. Hell no... I brought them because I though of you Gary, you really ought to realise that."

Gary now bit his lip as Robbie did earlier. "Fine, fine. I didn't invite you over to argue over sweets. I will take a bite, then you eat the rest." 

Gary then gestured for them to walk upstairs to his room. 

"I need to talk with you about something I've been noticing in our relationship that is really draining me out," Gary said as he walked upstairs and Robbie followed; "I really love you and all that but this... Feeling I have inside is really no fun." Gary made it upstairs and opened the door for Robbie, waiting for him.

The otherwise chatty and lively Robbie Williams fell silent as he tried to think of what to say.

Entering Gary's room, he took place on Gary's bed. Gary sat next to Robbie on the bed and leant close to his lover.

Touching Robbie's arm to calm his nerves, Gary began to let his heart out as he nibbled on the red cupcake frosting.

"Robbie. You have to understand this is not easy for me to confess, but it has to be said." Gary looked at an anxiously anticipating Robbie, whose pupils dilated in stress. He continued to gently stroke back and forth on his arm,

"Lately it has been getting to me that you seem to downplay the seriousness of our relationship. You go off and party as if you were- as if you were single," Gary gulped, then contined, "And what's bothering me even more if that your family seems not to know that we're together in a romantic context at all."

Robbie crossed his arms in defence as he tried to process what Gary said.

Gary looked increasingly distressed as he continued to speak. "Don't get me wrong, your family is wonderful and everything is absolutely hilarious when we all hang out together. But it seems to me that you hide the fact you're seeing me. Not only to your closest ones, but also to the world. When we're on tour it's like you turn the other cheek to me, and it hurts! Yes, it feels like the old days and all that, but something has changed since the old days and do you know what that is?" 

Gary looked intensely at Robbie. Robbie couldn't find the words to reply anthing at all, so he just let Gary vent his feelings.

"What has changed, Robbie," Gary started to cry silently as his voice cracked, "What has changed is that we're together now. We are not just friends anymore. We are, at least I think we are... Dating, we're dating... But you treat it as if nothing had changed!"

Gary sobbed now, prompting Robbie to put an arm around Gary. Gary didn't object to it, but didn't seem any less stressed.

"I told my parents and friends even, ages ago that I was dating a man... Dating you... They didn't have a care in the world! They still loved me, Robbie. Tell me now, are you afraid of loving me? Do you not want this to continue? It's killing me Robbie, and I need to know the truth."

Robbie rubbed Gary's back to calm his rapid breathing, which seemed to work at least a little bit.

When Gary seemed to have regained his composure, Robbie finally found the right words. His throat felt as dry as sandpaper as he tried to reassure Gary after he let everything go.

"I'm so, so sorry, Gaz." Robbie sighed lightly, "I am not afraid of love and certainly not of loving you. I... I've noticed you seemed off lately. Gazza... You have to believe me when I tell you that I've spent sleepless nights trying to figure out what was with you... I had no clue it was this... I've been such a big idiot."

Gary inhaled, then exhaled. For some reason, he already seemed somewhat calm.

"I think... All in all I've been wondering... Do you view this thing we have the same way as I do? Is it just as serious as I see it? Robbie, what are we?" Gary breathed, edging his face closer to that of his lover.

Robbie caressed Gary's neck sensually. "I do think we are dating. And sometimes we shag a bit, am I right?" Robbie being Robbie, daringly spewed out a cheeky joke. To Robbie's relief, it promoted a faint chuckle in Gary.

"Gary, can I ask you something?" Robbie lowered his voice as he turned all his body towards Gary and gently picked up both Gary's hands in his.

"Yeah, do go on." Gary said breathlessly. The atmosphere in the room suddently had changed from angst into sincerity.

"I can tell you really care a lot about me, it's as clear as day... So Gazza... Do you want to take the next step in our relationship? Do you want to be my boyfriend?" Robbie looked into Gary's eyes as he gently lowered his forehead to be against Gary's.

Gary thought for a while, then a smile slowly spread across his lips. "Yes, Robbie. I do want to be your boyfriend."

With these eight words, the love Gary and Robbie for each other was kindled anew. Without much hesitation, they started to fool around like lovesick teenagers. Gary, feeling a burning passion from within, pinned Robbie down against the bed and kissed him with unbridled feror.

Both men felt at home with each other. At that very moment they knew that they needed each other like Yin needs its Yan.


End file.
